- In Gard and Hérault, several places, however dangerous and sometimes prohibited, are taken over by swimmers, who do not hesitate to take all the risks.
- On certain sites, such as the Sautadet waterfalls or the Pont du Diable, fatal accidents are regular, despite calls for vigilance and prohibitions.
Since spring, the cases of drownings multiply, in the rivers of Gard. In this department, which has only ten kilometers of beaches, residents and tourists flock to the banks of the rivers to cool off. And sometimes invest in sites deemed dangerous, where accidents are common.
On May 27, a forties died after drowning in Gardon, Comps. On June 17, a 16-year-old boy died while swimming in the Sautadet waterfalls in La Roque-sur-Cèze. On June 26, in Collias, a young man of 19 years who lost his life, after having jumped from a bridge and sank straight. Others have gotten away with it, but are further expanding the list of numerous rescue operations in the local rivers. Near Anduze, on May 29, a 21-year-old man, in difficulty while bathing, had come out of the water by a witness. On July 1, a 14-year-old boy who was paddling at the Pont Drowned in Mialet was saved by the firefighters.
24 victims at Sautadet waterfalls
In the Gard, it is the Sautadet waterfalls that are the subject of all the attention of the authorities. The teenager who died in June is the 24th victim who has lost his life on this site since 1983, specifies the prefecture of Gard. However, "swimming [there] is strictly prohibited" since the early 2000s, from the Charles-Martel bridge to the canyon. You can only soak downstream from the waterfalls, where the Cèze takes its bed.
[Prevention #noyades] The Cascades du Sautadet, an exceptional but dangerous site where swimming is prohibited🚩. Prevention operation in the presence of Thierry Dousset, director of cabinet of @ Prefet30, Edmond Jouvenel, mayor, the @Gendarmerie and the @pompiersdugard. pic.twitter.com/HbBFIeMO0R
- Prefect of Gard (@ Prefet30) August 13, 2018"Security forces are deployed each year to enforce bans and secure the Sautadet waterfalls," said prefect Didier Lauga, who called for "vigilance and compliance with regulations on this site, which is very busy during the summer period". . "The Sautadet waterfalls are clearly the most dangerous site in the department," says Eric Agrinier, commander of the Gard firefighters. Despite the extremely precise display in place, which explains the prohibitions, there are unconscious people who get into the water, when we know that the swirling currents are really dangerous, and cause deaths every year. "
The infamous Devil's Bridge
Other natural sites in the Gard are regularly the scene of accidents. In particular the Gardon, "when people jump from the rocks without having made any reconnaissance beforehand, or because the site has evolved, and sometimes, jump in shallow places, and cause significant trauma", continues Eric Agrinier.
In Hérault, it is a particular site which regularly feeds news items in the corner of the local newspapers: the aptly named Pont du Diable, near Saint-Jean-de-Fos. Fans of extreme sensations meet there, and jump, for some, from the top of the bridge, 18 meters from the river. Despite bans and accidents. On July 21, 2019, a 21-year-old young man did not survive the impact. On September 2, 2019, a 14-year-old adolescent was found dead in the river, under the bridge, the victim of a drowning. The latest in a long list of victims of this cursed bridge.
🚨 [#Recommendation] Following the death of a man yesterday on the Pont du Diable site @ SDIS34 reminds you that jumps from bridges or rocks on this site are extremely dangerous but above all #INTERDITS ⚠️ #Prudence pic.twitter. com / vFXGjPv46e
- Firemen 34 (@ SDIS34) July 22, 2019A fire station
“Touristically, it is a very well-known place, notes the colonel of the firefighters of Hérault, Jérôme Bonnafoux. It's a classified site, and in terms of signage, you can't do what you want. Many people have fun jumping off the bridge, although it is strictly prohibited, and sometimes there are accidents, especially when there is not too much water. The river itself can be dangerous when there is current. "
The fire brigade has an aid station on this site. “It is open in the summer, from 11 am to 6.30 pm,” continues Jérôme Bonnafoux. And often, accidents are before the opening, or after the closing. »As the firefighters recall, as the holidays begin, the elementary rules to be observed before going to cool off: choose authorized and supervised bathing areas, know how to swim, take into account your state of form, stay with your children when they bathe. And stay cautious.
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- Languedoc-Roussillon
- Firefighters
- Bathing
- Drowning